Crookshanks' Medicine
by FlittingGemini
Summary: "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." Ron and Hermione Weasley know this more than most people due to their history, but what happens when it occurs within their family...again? Crappy summary I'm sorry. This is my first fanfiction! Be nice


**I do not own Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling does. Sucks for me.**

It was a bright, balmy August Sunday in the year 2010. In the years since Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger defeated Tom Riddle, they had all focused on rebuilding their lives. It hadn't been easy dealing with the pain of losing loved ones,yet they had each other as well as Harry and Ginny and the rest of the Weasleys. When they all stood together and helped one another heal, they were finally able to build a life better than any one of them could have imagined. Now no one said their lives were perfect but Hermione, Ron, Harry and Ginny thought that having small problems in life made their love grow, and responded to problems with a hopeful attitude. This is a special instance in their lives.

"Ron! Have you seen Rose? She's not in her room." Yelled a frazzled Hermione, holding a one-year old Hugo.

"No dear, that's the point! I've been playing hide-and-seek with her for the last 20 minutes!" Ron yelled back from the sitting room where he had been previously looking under the sofa.

"Daddy! You have to come look at Crookshanks! I think he hurt his legs!" Rose yelled as she ran downstairs.

Ron looked up the stairs at Rose bemusedly "Honey I thought you said you wanted to play hide-and-seek? I know I wasn't doing well but I would have found you eventually."

"I know but Daddy weren't you listening? Crookshanks is hurt!" She said as her eyes began to glisten with tears.

Ron bent over and picked up Rose and tried to comfort her. He reflected that Crookshanks was wobbling around every time Ron saw him go to his dish in the last few weeks. Ron also realised that Crookshanks sometimes didn't leave his and Hermione's room for most of the day. "Although", Ron mused "I don't pay very much attention to the furball so it would escape my notice."

At this point Hermione came down the stairs still holding Hugo and said " I see you found our daughter." She replied irritably

"Yes" replied Ron "Rose has informed me that Crookshanks is wobbling around particularly badly today. I also noticed that he isn't eating as much."

At this Hermione started to get misty as well "Yes I have noticed that, and how he doesn't leave our room very much. I think he is sick."

Ron put Rose down and said " Rosie dear, can you go to your room for a moment? I just want to talk with mummy."

"Okay daddy! I bet you're going to find a good medicine for Crookshanks' cold" Rose then cheerfully went upstairs to play. Not noticing Hermione's eyes get even wetter as she walked away.

"Oh Ron I don't think there is a medicine for it! I think Crookshanks is going to die soon!" Hermione broke down and started crying causing Hugo to start squirming. Ron reached out and lifted Hugo into one arm and hugged Hermione tightly with the other.

"Perhaps love, do you want me to go to Magical Menagerie? See If they don't have something for him?" Ron's heart was starting to beat rather fast, he wasn't exactly chummy with the old feline, but his wife was quite another story. Ron knew that Hermione was getting rather stressed with working in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement part time and raising two children with him, this might have an adverse effect on her work since she would sacrifice effort for that first rather than her family.

"Yes please. I want us to do anything we can to help him." Hermione said tearfully.

"I'll go right now." Ron said "In fact I'll bring him with me and I'll take the Floo since Apparition might not go well." Ron kissed Hermione and handed her Hugo and without further ado dashed upstairs to get Crookshanks.

In his and Hermione's bedroom he found Crookshanks curled up on the floor by the wardrobe, looking rather thin and woe-be-gone. Ron picked up the feline and whispered to Crookshanks as he opened his eyes. "I know that you and I haven't ever really got along, but we do have one very important thing in common and that is that we both love Hermione and this family, so I'm going to find something to make you feel better." At this Crookshanks purred and ironically this worried Ron more because Crookshanks was always being so sassy and spunky to him up until the last two weeks.

When Ron brought him downstairs in his arms Hermione was holding Hugo while playing Wizards chess with Rose. Ron beamed with pride at the sight because although Rose didn't understand the game rules she still found great delight in how the pieces moved (and oftentimes broke) across the board. Hermione came up to Ron and gave Crookshanks a kiss on the forehead which made him purr again. She then proceeded to give Ron a kiss on the lips and said,

"I'm sorry that I've seemed so short with you lately Ron, I think its because I've noticed Crookshanks' health getting worse." "Rose darling can you come give your Father and Crookshanks a kiss? Crookshanks is going to get some medicine."

"Of course mummy!" She too gave Crookshanks a kiss on the forehead and then her daddy's cheek. "I'll see you soon Crookshanks. Please get better." "Abaa gee!" came from Hugo in Hermione's arms and Ron laughed. Soon Rose joined in and Hermione wasn't far behind.

As his family laughed all around him, for even little Hugo had started, Crookshanks' eyes gleamed and he managed a small purr.

After a moment of laughter Ron stepped up to the fireplace and with a silent spell had a fire roaring. He the grabbed a pinch of Floo powder from the mantle and said "Magical Menagerie!"

About a half an hour later both Rose and Hugo had been put down for a nap after being read "Babbity Rabbity and the Cackling stump" Ron had returned with Crookshanks with a sorrowful look on his face. Hermione, who had been waiting in the sitting room, saw this and quickly demanded what the vetriwizard had said.

Ron sat down and began petting Crookshanks who for once stayed in his lap "Hermione love, the wizard said that Crookshanks' weakness is because he is anmeic now, and has been for a few weeks. Its caused from kidney failure which is irreversible in cats." Ron said with a heavy heart. "At least according to the ponce of bad news." Hermione started weeping fully and couldn't find it in herself to appreciate Ron's humour as much as she wanted to.

"Oh Ron I feel awful! If only I paid better attention to him!" she wailed

Ron stopped petting Crookshanks and put his finger under her chin and turned her face towards his. "None of that my love." Ron said " I know that every morning you went out of your way despite being busy with our children and your career to pet Crookshanks." "You always took good care of both our animals when it came to being fed and clean, you loved them like you love your family, with all your heart."

Hermione gave Ron a watery smile and gave him a deep kiss on lips. Crookshanks growled and swatted at Ron which got Ron and Hermione laughing again and Pig swooping in and hooting excitedly like he was still a young owling.

"Looks like he still doesn't want me snogging my own wife." Ron said bemusedly while putting Crookshanks on the sofa and stood to try to catch Pig.

"Well maybe I better go start dinner, since our activities are so frowned upon." Hermione said with a smile. She stopped when Ron grabbed her hand.

"No lets just get take-away, we need to relax and focus on our family tonight." Ron said while looking at the stairs and at Crookshanks and Pig. "The vetriwizard said that the best medicine at this point would be love and laughter for this feline."

"Its a deal." said Hermione as both her and Crookshanks' eyes twinkled.

The next morning Hermione woke early, and as she looked down to where Crookshanks lay, she saw that he was laying rather stiff. Her heart pounded as tears quickly formed and splashed down her face. Kneeling by Crookshanks' body she picked him up and noticed that his body and the floor beneath him was still warm. She wept harder as she realised that she had missed saying goodbye to Crookshanks by a mere hour or so. Soon she felt warmth as she was embraced by Ron. She quickly turned to Ron and wept into his bare chest as she still held Crookshanks.

"Don't worry Hermione." he said as she felt tears drop onto her head "Now he went to the next great adventure with all our other family and friends we've known and loved-Fred, Sirius, Dumbledore, Colin, Remus,Tonks, Kreacher,Dobby, Hedwig and countless others." Hermione shook as she tried to calm herself.

"I know, I just miss him so much already." she wiped her eyes, though they quickly flooded again. "I want to bury him in the garden, we already said that we loved this house and never wanted to leave, I want to keep him close by."

"Of course my love, I'll Floo Harry and tell him that neither one of us will be coming in today and that he and Ginny, James, Al and Lily can come to see all of us bury him."

"I think he'd like that Ron, his whole family could pay their last respects."


End file.
